Is the Tide Starting to Turn?

NoleDigest Staff

08/18/2010

Do you hear that? It is the sound of beating drums. It is the sound of the Seminole chant. It has been a long time since Seminole fans have had anything to cheer about. Today is a day they can. When James Wilder decided to put on the Seminole hat and declare that Florida State was his college of choice it changed everything.

Florida State who has been kind of forgotten about by college pundits just made a statement. They have a new head Coach in Jimbo Fisher. They signed one of the top classes in the country a year ago. Now you can add the commitment of the top rated player in Florida to that list. So that noise you hear is getting louder and louder.

What does it mean? It means the tide is starting to turn. For close to a decade now the team down South (University of Florida) has won each head to head battle with Florida State. First there was long time Seminole fan Percy Harvin who chose the University of Florida over Florida State. Harvin always envisioned himself as the next Peter Warrick. Instead he tuned his back on his childhood favorite and chose their chief rival Florida. This was just the start of a trend that Florida State could not turn. Up next were Markice and Michael Pouncey, both committed to Florida State before their senior year started. More recently Andre Debose and Gary Brown signed with UF. For each recruiting battle that Florida won, it put their rival further and further behind.

Has the tide turned? Last year Florida State finally won a recruiting battle against Florida. They landed Jeff Luc who was considered signed, sealed and delivered to the Orange and Blue. Florida State ended up changing Luc's mind and he chose the Seminoles in the end.

Now we sit here today and Florida State returns the favor for all those life time Seminole fans choosing Florida. Ranked # 1 in Florida, James Wilder has chosen to spurn the Gators and pick Florida State.

How did they do it? Eddie Gran. Coach Eddie Gran who has had a history of putting running backs in the NFL has convinced Wilder he will be the next great one. How can anyone honestly argue with Gran who has put Deuce McAllister, Ronnie Brown, Cadillac Williams and Brandon Jacobs in the NFL. Each and every one of them has had success not only in college but the NFL. Wilder feels he is the next in line to join those talented backs.

Will the Wilder commitment have an impact on the rest of the Seminoles class? Yes. From a PR standpoint this is the biggest recruiting win for Florida State in a long time. There were other big name recruits that chose the Seminoles but this one means a little more. With players like Wilder signing on to play for Florida State and the tremendous staff that coach Fisher has put together, that sound you hear is the Seminoles on the war-path.